Title: Employment Specialist

Reports to: Program Director

Employment Status: Full-time – Non-Exempt

Organization Overview:

Women’s Empowerment is a community based nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate and empower women who are homeless with the skills and the confidence necessary to secure a job, create a healthy lifestyle and regain a home for themselves and their children. Women’s Empowerment is the most comprehensive job-readiness program in Sacramento exclusively designed to serve homeless women and their children. Women’s Empowerment is dedicated to ending homelessness one woman, one family at a time.

Women’s Empowerment offers a supportive environment whose employees work as a team to provide the highest quality of services. We use a strength based model in our work and focus on excellence in all of our programs.

Position Overview:

The two Employment Specialists at Women’s Empowerment are responsible to work, collaboratively, with one another to ensure that positive employment outcomes are promoted and sustained for the women served through the program. Each Employment Specialist will work directly with the women enrolled as current students in each 8 week core class to facilitate career readiness skills and develop and implement individualized Employment Action Plans. Each Employment Specialist is also responsible for working directly with graduates of the core program who are seeking additional advanced employment training through general graduate services, as well as the WE Works! Program. The Employment Specialists will work with one another to cultivate and maintain relationships with employers in the community to create and sustain employment opportunities for the women served through Women’s Empowerment. As a member of an interdisciplinary support team, each Employment Specialist is responsible for coordinating, communicating, facilitating, and supporting the needs of students and graduates from a strengths-based / client-centered approach. Qualifications:

 Masters or Bachelors Degree in vocational rehabilitation, business, communications, or a closely- related field preferred or High School diploma with a minimum of two years experience as an employment specialist or job developer

 A minimum of two years experience with assessment and career management

 Experience working with employers and developing new employment collaborations

 Previously demonstrated experience with customer service

 Demonstrated experience in providing group instruction on career-readiness and skills development  Knowledge of the labor market and occupational climate in the greater Sacramento area

 Knowledge of local community resources and demonstrated ability to navigate systems related to such

 Demonstrated ability to perform an effective job-task analysis to best meet the employment needs of both community employment partners and the women served through the program

 Knowledge and ability to work from a strengths-based model/ client-centered approach

 Demonstrated ability to accurately document and maintain records in a timely and organized manner

 Demonstrated ability to prioritize multiple work tasks, meet deadlines, and work independently

 Ability to work well as a member of an interdisciplinary team, committed to the holistic success of all students

 Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills

 Strong organizational skills, with a demonstrated ability for attention to detail and long-term planning

 Demonstrates flexibility, resourcefulness, accountability, reliability, and professionalism

 Excellent computer skills

 Experience working with underserved and diverse populations

 Demonstrated understanding of laws directly impacting the population served through Women’s Empowerment, specifically, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) Laws

 Previously demonstrated experience working with adults with barriers to employment, including mental health issues

 Understanding and sensitivity to the issues facing homeless women and children

 Desire to better the lives of women and children who are homeless

 Commitment to fulfill the mission of Women’s Empowerment

 Possession of a valid California driver’s license and vehicle insurance

Principal Activities and Responsibilities:

A. Job Readiness:  Conduct initial vocational, educational, and interest assessments for all students

 Evaluate each student’s level of skill and competency , as related to work experience, employment, vocational interest, knowledge, education, and ability

 Responsible for holding individual, employment support meetings with students over each 8- week class session

 Assist students, both individually and in class setting, with completion of Job-Seeking Skills (JSS) Graduation Requirements: I-9 Work Documentation, Master Application, , 30-Second Me, Resume and Cover Letter, Cold Calls, Mock Interviews, and Vocational/Employment Action Plan

 Responsible for coordinating, overseeing, and/or teaching the career readiness component of the core curriculum with fellow Employment Specialist

 Responsible for reviewing, approving, and tracking JSS Graduation Requirements for each current student on your caseload

 Assists with ongoing development of JSS Curriculum and Student Manual

 Prepare and coach students for interviewing, resume creation, and follow-up with employers

B. Job Development:

 Develop and maintain relationships with various employers, as a way to foster community partnerships, and develop both volunteer training and paid training opportunities for students and graduates

 Cultivate and maintain relationships with current employers

 Identify and develop new job opportunities that will help drive employment outcomes for students and graduates

 Complete initial individual interviews and group orientations for graduates participating in the WE Works! advanced training and employment program

 Coordinate with Social Workers in order to maintain a current calendar for all graduate services, WE Works! trainings, activities, and appointments

 Responsible for coordinating and facilitating weekly Job Search activities and workshops for the WE Works! Program

 Responsible for coordinating and tracking all Volunteer Training and Paid Training opportunities offered through the WE Works! Program  Serves as an employment support liaison between graduates and various job placements in the community

 Serve as an Employment Liaison between the Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) and WE students/graduates. Responsible for maintaining ongoing communication and supporting students in progress toward their DOR Individualized Educational Plans (IEP)

 Organizes and regularly updates applicable job postings

 Conduct frequent labor market research to assess the level of compatibility between students’ vocational goals and the current job market

 Assists students in matching available employment opportunities to their individual abilities, experience, and career goals

 Maintain ongoing, supportive relationships with students and graduates to assist them in reaching their individual employment goals

 Host potential employers on site for interviews, presentations, career fairs, and other various employment activities

 Facilitate students’ participation in community job fairs

C. Documentation:

 Responsible for collaborating with students to develop and implement individualized Employment Action Plans, outlining employment goals, objectives, timelines for completion, and available resources

 Maintain student / graduate documentation according to agency standards

 Track employment rate for both current students and graduates, in order to complete monthly reports to both the Board of Directors and various funding sources

D. Professional Expectations:

 Work collaboratively within an interdisciplinary support team to identify students’ individual strengths, as well as barriers to employment, and support plans to reach goals

 Work collaboratively with fellow Employment Specialist to ensure positive employment outcomes for students and graduates  Act as a professional role model, responsible for modeling an appropriate employer/employee relationship and holding students /graduates accountable to high standards of work performance and professionalism

Physical Requirements:

Lift and move up to 25 pounds. Stand, walk, and sit frequently. Bend and stoop.

Salary: Compensation commensurate with experience.

Benefits: Medical, dental, life insurance, vacation, holidays, IRA with employer match